Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-18

usual time, and was glad to find the
street deserted. / returned to the res
taur ant at fast walk, but no sooner had
I reached it than I wheeled about for the
bank. 1t struck me all at once that the
policeman had caught on to my four
knocks, and that after I had gone the
pair might seek to get father to the door
by giving them. I dropped the dishes
and started off on run, and in three or
four minutes was at the bank. The door
was slightly open, and l jumped right
against it and flung it back. light was
always burning, and at glance l saw
that father was down and both men on
top of him. They had his head covered
with cloth, and, though he was calling
out, his cries could not have been heard
ten feet.
s'The cot was at the left as you entered
the bank, and the gun stood at the foot
of it. Just the minute l was inside 1
realized what was going on, and the first
move I made was for the gun. AS l
seized it and wheeled about one of the
villains, who had been sitting on fathers
legs, reached out a foot and knocked the
door shut, and the other gave father two
blows with a short iron bar, and then
sprang up and faced me. Father straight
ened out, seeming to have been killed by
the blows, and the sight gave me courage
and determination. When both of the
men were on their feet the one in uni
form commanded me to give up the gun.
I held it in way to cover both, hammer
up and finger on the trigger, and did
not mean to give it up. For half a min
ute after the man spoke there was dead
silence. The light hung from the ceiling
between me and them, and although 1t
was turned down, could see the slightest
move made by either. The false police
man picked up a stool, raised it above his
head in deliberate way, and said:
"'Boy, put down that gun or I'll brain
you
"'Hold on Dick, let me shoot him.
whispered the other, and he drew from
his pocket one of the first revolvers [
| had ever seen.
'He had it pointed at me when Dick
stopped him by saying the report would
arouse some one. Coward that he was,
he dared not advance upon me, but sud-
denly flung the stool at my head. 1t
struck the lamp with a great crash, and
in a second we were in darkness. The
glass had not ceased rafting when I
blazed away with the gun. 1t was loaded
with swan shot, and had put in whole
handful. There were three or four
screams of rage and pain, and one went
to the floor with heavy crash, while the
other staggered to the door, opened it,
and staggered out. / was after him in
jiffy. It was moonlight outdoors, and |
saw him in the middle of the street. [
ran right for him, shouting for the police,
and as he turned and saw me / called to
him to halt or I would give him the other
barrel. Well sir, held him right there
until an officer came to take him away,
but [ must tell you that he had three or
four of the shot in his face and was badly
dazed. When we entered the bank we
found father sitting up and rubbing his
head, and across his feet was the dead
| body of the other crook. Nearly the
whole change of shot had stuck him in
the breast, and he was dead inside Of a
minute.
s'Ive got the newspaper account pasted
into scrap book. They made me out a
hero, and they praised me much more
than I deserved. I told the story just as
it was to the bank people, and the result
was that was put into the watch with
father, and we were together for the next
ten years. The wounded crook got a
sentence to prison, and before he went he
owned up like man to all I have told
you. They got father to open the door
by giving four knocks, and they had him
down before he knew what was up. If
left undisturbed they would have made a
big haul, as the bank money was easy
to get at Since a week after that night
L have been bank Waterman, and, though
1 have had no other chance to play the
hero, the fact that am kept In my place
is evidence of faithfulness."